Tax Deadlines Extended Due to Marathon Bombings

State and federal authorities say they want to give individuals impacted by the bombings more time to file their taxes.

Due to the Boston Marathon bombings, two deadlines to file income taxes have been extended for the Boston area.  The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has extended the deadline to file income tax returns to April 23, according to the DOR. The extension applies to anybody impacted by the bombings. The DOR extended the deadline saying they wanted to give anybody impacted by the Boston Marathon bombings more time to file. The original deadline was Tuesday, April 16. Also, the federal Internal Revenue Service has extended its income tax return filing deadline to July 15, according to its website. The extensions applies to Suffolk County residents, vitctims, victims’ families, first responders and individuals who live outside of Suffolk …

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You Ask, Patch Answers

Where Can I File My 2013 Tax Return in Melrose?

Check out a sampling of Melrose-based tax offices that can handle your tax preparation in our latest You Ask Patch Answers column.

Still have not filed your 2013 tax return and looking for a tax preparer in Melrose? Check out a sampling of Melrose-based tax offices that can handle your tax preparation:

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Mass. Tax Plans: Too Much, Too Soon? Or Too Little, Too Slow?

Should the state forge ahead with Gov. Deval Patrick's bold plan to invest now? Or should it follow the Legislature leadership's proposal to address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives?

Massachusetts legislators this week answered Gov. Deval Patrick's ambitious plan to raise $1.9 billion for transportation and education with a $500 million plan of their own, which says the governor is asking for too much, too soon as the Bay State shakes off the effects of the Great Recession. Who's right? Should the state forge ahead in a bold plan to invest now? Or should it cautiously address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives? While Patrick's plan includes funding for both the state transportation system and increased education funding from preschool through college, House and Senate lawmakers eschew new revenue for education, focusing solely on closing the transportation budget gap over the next five years. The …

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Andrew Sylvia

9:26 pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2013

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What Do New Tax Laws Mean to You?

Check out the latest blog post by Christopher Cinella for a breakdown about new tax laws.

New 2013 Tax Rates and Standard Deductions

Standard deductions go up, but the ceiling for itemized deductions go down in 2013, plus other changes that will affect your taxes this year.

On Friday, the Internal Revenue Service announced annual inflation adjustments for tax year 2013, including the tax rate schedules, and other tax changes from the recently passed American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.  The tax items for 2013 of greatest interest to most taxpayers include the following changes. Details on these inflation adjustments and others are contained in Revenue Procedure 2013-15, which will be published in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2013-5 on Jan.28, 2013. Other inflation adjusted items were published in October 2012 in Revenue Procedure 2012-41. [Editor's note: The information above derived from a press statement from the Internal Revenue Service.]

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Fiscal Cliff Looms as Congress Gets Back to Work

The President and Congress have just a few days to avert automatic tax increases and spending cuts. A number of Massachusetts Congressmen suggest cutting nuclear programs instead.

Starbucks baristas are writing "come together" on all cups in the Washington, DC, area to encourage Congress and the President to come together to fix the fiscal cliff issue. For more information about this initiative, go to www.patch.com/fixthedebt. Congress and President Obama are racing against the clock this week as they make one last attempt to hammer out a deal to avoid the so-called “fiscal cliff” the U.S. government is set to go over on New Year’s Day. Without a compromise deal to lower the deficit, the government will face a self-imposed deadline that triggers both spending cuts and higher taxes. Congress itself set the Jan. 1 deadline after failing to come to a budget compromise earlier this year. On Jan. 1, the George W. Bush-…

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The Fiscal Cliff: What Deal Would You Cut?

Massachusetts Democrats in Congress want to avoid cuts in benefits as part of any deal, but proposals such as raising the eligibility age for Medicare are still on the table. What would you do?

As Congress negotiates a deal to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" on Jan. 1, Massachusetts' congressional representatives have voiced their opposition to any cuts in benefits such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the Boston Globe reports. However, there are proposals still on the table that would change those benefit programs, including linking Social Security benefits to a more conservative inflation index that would slightly reduce annual increases, or raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67. The Globe reported that while the Bay State's legislators were united against changes to Social Security, there's some wiggle room on Medicare. Rep. Ed Markey opposes raising the Medicare eligibility age; Rep. Michael …

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Tax to Travel: How Would You Pay for Mass' Transportation System?

Gov. Deval Patrick plans to ask lawmakers to raises taxes to make up for the shortfall in Massachusetts' transportation system. What options should they consider and what's off the table?

Would you be willing to pay more at the pump, have a tracking system on your car that taxes you by the mile, or see tolls on state highways? Those are just some of the possibilities looming as Massachusetts looks to erase the state's transportation system's deficit. The Boston Globe reported that Gov. Deval Patrick will ask lawmakers to raise taxes in order to pay for a transportation system—from the MBTA to roads and bridges—that continues to operate in the red. The administration will present a specific proposal by Jan. 7. One option is raising the gas tax, a route Patrick sought in 2009 only to be rebuffed by the legislature. Patrick sought a 19 cent increase while business groups endorsed a 25 cent increase. Ultimately, the state …

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Was Romney Right About the 47 Percent, or Will This Doom His Campaign?

Mother Jones released a video of Mitt Romney telling a private audience that 47 percent of Americans are dependent on the government and will never vote for him. Was this a ruinous gaffe, or has Romney told a hard political truth?

A secret video obtained by Mother Jones magazine has rocked the political world. In that video, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said 47 percent of Americans believe they are victims, are dependent on the government and will never vote for him. He went further, saying he wasn't worried about them. The magazine released a portion of the video Monday. In a late night press conference Monday, Romney said the comments were not "elegantly stated," but were part of a larger conversation about the role of personal responsibility. Romney went on to say the comments were a reflection on "the political process of winning an election, and, of course, I want to help all Americans—all Americans—have a bright and prosperous future." Mother …

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Last Chance: City Quarterly Tax Bill Due May 1

If you own Real Estate or Personal Property in the City of Melrose you should have received your Quarterly tax bill due, May 1, 2012 in the mail at the beginning of January.

Hundreds of events are posted on Melrose Patch each week, but how often does one pass you by that you wish you hadn't missed? Each week Melrose Patch will give you a quick reminder about an event, an important sign-up, or a looming deadline you won't want to forget. Information taken from the City of Melrose website: If you own Real Estate or Personal Property in the City of Melrose you should have received your Quarterly tax bill due, May 1, 2012 in the mail at the beginning of January along with the bill due that was due, February 1, 2012. If you did not receive or no longer have your bill please contact the Collector's Office at 781-979-4120 for a copy or come to The Collector's Office to pay your current bill. Bills can also be …

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